The Trials of Tribulation
by Saint and Sinner
Summary: A joyous night for a young couple turns to tragey. Dark forces tear them apart and rip them from the living world. A soul is denied peace from the bitter emotions of failure and despair weighting down his soul... CrowXInuyasha


Chapter is COMPLETE. Reviews are now accepted… Feel free to burn me but don't be surprised if my muse attacks and rapes you in your sleep.

Disclaimer: Copyrights "can bite my shiny metal #$." Bender of Futurama

Chapter 1: Looks can be deceiving…

Pouring of crimson fluid, tearing of human flesh, shattering of snow-white bones, and the wrenching of his human heart was the only things his body felt. His head snapped back, his eyes widened, and his mouth opened in a silent scream. A thin trail of blood crept down from his lips mixing with bitter tears.

The soul slowly separated from dying flesh, rising above the fading corpse. Agonizing torment and despair endlessly burned into its core. Peace and eternal rest he was denied and his love, forever lost to him and life. Her dead eyes locked into his further amplifying his pain. His heart sank as failure flooded his mind, weighting down his soul, failure of protecting her and killing the bastards responsible.

Death was fast approaching on the flutter of wings. Soon he would meet the Grim Reaper, and be forced to dwell in the Land of the Dead. There, separated from those he held the dearest and closest to his mortal heart. A final breath escaped his collapsing lungs carrying with it a single name that echoed through out his soul. "Kagome."

INUYASHA vs. THE MUTANT BUNNIES

Amber eyes slowly slid open as images of a nightmare receded back into his subconscious. A cold sweat covered his body. His breathing was rapid as tremors shook his being, breaking his composure. His mind slowly regained calm and he began to settle himself.

"It was just a stupid dream," he whispered. He tried to recall the images but they skirted just of his reach. He stretched his body, loosening tight muscles. Tension flooded out of his body, leaving him relaxed and sleep gently took over him.

"Caw, caw." a crow cried as it flew from its shadowy perch above his head. "Ahh!" he screamed as the bird's sudden flight scared him and caused him to fall out of the tree. Luckily, the distance wasn't far and he received no injuries.

"Inuyasha are you alright?" a sleepy feminine asked. He merely stood up and looked her way, brushing himself off. "I'm fine Kagome. Just go back to sleep."

The young half-demon propped himself against the base of the tree. He couldn't sleep now. Restlessness filled his body as odd thoughts ran rampant through his mind.

"A crow, why did a crow scare me?" he asked himself. "Is it connected to my dreams or am I just going crazy?" These thoughts kept his mind occupied for the remainder of the night.

INUYASHA VS. THE MUTANT KITTIES

"In the Land of the Dead, the border between Heaven and Hell, the fulcrum of Judgment Day, everyone is equal before death. Yet it is also a portal to another world, The Land of Restless Souls.

The Land of Restless Souls is the home of souls denied peace. Their existence in the Realm of the Living has left burdens upon their souls. They are doomed to wander the land until their peace can be found. Many are bound here for an eternity, while others quickly leave aided by various deities, including the crows.

The Crows, servants of the Angel of Restless Souls, bring peace to those whom thirst for vengeance. The burning hatred or the agony a soul feels, the crows turn into strength. These souls are given flesh and return to the Realm of the Living. Crowic ghosts are their names, fitting for the Living Dead. They are avatars of good.

Yet even angels have their devils. Snakes, enemies of the crows, are tainted souls. Their evil deeds in life gave them the strength in death. They are the fusion of human and demon souls, each giving their own attributes. The humans, the disguise of a mortal, the demon, the strength of its evil, combined together creates a powerful killer. They crave the pain of innocents and feed themselves with their victims' torment. They have no respect for mortal lives and grin at the sight of devastation. The yang of the crowic ghosts, the thorns in their sides." whispered an angel as she watched over the realms between the heavens and hells. Her duty was to protect the mortal world from the creatures of the afterlife. Creatures that would upset the balance of Good and Evil, ice hearted bloodthirsty monsters whose only delight was pure agony.

The device that served as her viewing glass was a silver crystal mirror. Simple in design but it was complicated in use. It did not reflect things in the normal way. Instead, it reflected specific commands invoked by enchantments. The silver surface now reflected a rope bridge serving as the portals between the living world and the realms of the departed.

The bridge stretched over a deep within a woodland setting. A gentle forest surrounded both entrances, deceiving the portals that actually existed. Far below in the valley's bottom, a vast river flowed.

It was the River of the Dead, or more commonly known as the river Styx. The smooth surface of the river deceived onlookers from the raging tides that lay beneath. The onyx waters reflected no light, casting the shores into grayish shadows. A pebble beach enclosed the winding river, the stones slippery, making it a difficult walkway for unexpected travelers.

A strange presence distracted the young angel from her causal search. A dark figure slowly emerged from portals leading to the realms of the dead. It crawled onto the bridge; its movements were sluggish and faltering, suggesting the creature was near exhaustion.

"It's merely another weakling trying to escape death," muttered the angel. "It won't be too difficult to banish it back across the border." She whispered an enchantment and instantly arrived in front of the creature.

It kneeled upon the ground on its knees, a bony hand clutching a rope above its head. Its head hung downward, black stringy strands of hair blocking the face from view. Its body merely skin and bones, a walking skeleton with flesh. It appeared to be unisex, considering the condition of the body. The only sound was the rasping breaths it took, struggling to keep oxygen in its lungs. Weakness oozed from its body, declaring this fight an easy one

"Spirit, I condemn you back to the realm from which you came." the angel declared as her right hand braced the hilt of her rapier. She raised her left to her heart, the spell forming in her mind. The hand tilted at an angle, the index middle fingers pointed upwards. This was where things took a turn for the worse.

RESULTS OF THE MATCHES:

INUYASHA VS. THE MUTANT BUNNIES WINNER: INUYASHA

INUYASHA VS. THE MUTANT KITTIES WINNER: INUYASHA


End file.
